Various types of currency validators and note acceptors are presently known in the art. Such currency validators receive a paper tendered as a piece of valid currency, perform various tests upon the paper to authenticate it, and then either accept the paper as valid currency, or reject and return it as an invalid tender. When accepted as valid currency, the paper is generally deposited into a cash box or other appropriate receptacle and the change and/or goods are dispensed in exchange. Attempts are often undertaken with such currency validators to retrieve the currency once it has been accepted as valid, and after the vend and/or change operation has been commenced or completed.
The invention herein relates to an antiretrieval device particularly adapted for implementation in currency validators of the slot acceptor type. In such devices, the paper tendered as a valid currency is introduced into a slot and transported by belts and/or rollers through a testing area and to an escrow position from which it is punched into a stack within a cash box. In such devices, the note path generally has a horizontal portion extending from the slot and in communication with a vertical portion from which it is punched into the cash box. It has been previously know that string or tape may be affixed to a piece of currency tendered to the currency validator and used as a device for subsequently retrieving the currency from the cash box after it has been accepted and the vend or change operation has been completed. It has previously been known that an invalid piece of paper may be purposely tendered to the currency validator following the acceptance of a valid piece of currency having string or tape attached thereto. The rejection of the invalid currency, accompanied by reverse rotation of the belts and rollers, aids the retrieval operation.
There is a need in the art for an anti-retrieval device to be used in association with the note path and between the note path and cash box which prevents such retrieval from the cash box once the currency has been accepted and deposited therein.